This is my first year getting chickens of my own, and I was searching for hatcheries closer to me to omit shipping eggs. These folks are only a couple of hours from me. Although I have yet to get the eggs (still working on getting the kinks out of the incubator that I am making) I have emailed them a few times and gotten a very timely response and received a catalog via mail quickly once requested. They also sell on ebay and have a 99% positive feedback. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply. I spoke w/ the gentleman twice on the phone. He was very quick to return messeges both by email and phone, very helpful and friendly, so I went ahead and ordered my chicks from him, so I'll know in a couple of weeks. I'll post my thoughts about my chicks (and a pic or two) when I get them.

Let's take care of the Earth, it is the only planet we know for sure has chocolate.

This is my first year getting chickens of my own, and I was searching for hatcheries closer to me to omit shipping eggs. These folks are only a couple of hours from me. Although I have yet to get the eggs (still working on getting the kinks out of the incubator that I am making) I have emailed them a few times and gotten a very timely response and received a catalog via mail quickly once requested. They also sell on ebay and have a 99% positive feedback. Hope this helps.

Oh and I just noticed this was your first post so from Oklahoma and

Let's take care of the Earth, it is the only planet we know for sure has chocolate.

Cedar Creek Hatchery is like 15 minutes from me. He has a ton of breeds. I know the Marans breeds he has are very good quality and good dark breeds as he bought them from another local hatchery 5 minutes from my house that I know personally.

He bought his Coronation Sussex, Speckled Sussex and his Self Blue (Lavender) Orpingtons from me. I know his Lavenders are not yet laying so it will be awhile before anything like that is ready as the pullets and the rooster he bought from me are only about 5 months old.

Joe and his wife are good folk and really enjoy what they do. I guess if I had to say anything negative it would be that I feel sometimes he sells some of his breeds a little cheap which is good for customers but I would like to see him stay in the price range that most of the other reputable breeders are. His has god stock so should get the price for them.

I have also gotten eggs from him and had 100% HATCH RATE. Of course I picked them up and they were not shipped through the USPS.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm glad to hear that there are more hatcheries "locally". Thought I had the incubator all set, the temps were maintaining at a 99 to 101 range, so had a friend send me some Silver Spangled Hamburgs thru the mail. The eggs arrived a week ago and were put in, but I have had severe temp spikes. I made an adjustment to one of the shelves that seemed to improve but not fully correct. Candled the eggs on day 4 and 6. One egg is definitely different from the others, but none of them look like what I am seeing they should be. Will let them set for a while longer, but thinking this batch is lost. Major disappointment. Will need to try to figure out what needs to be corrected and try again.